Underwhelming Rams veteran is as good as gone once NFL free agency begins

The Los Angeles Rams secondary is going to be the focus of general manager Les Snead this offseason. Except for special teams, defensive backs were a serious concern in 2025. Now, the team must take the group back down to the studs and refurbish what an inconsistent unit from last season.

And veteran cornerback Derion Kendrick is likely one of the first to go.

Kendrick's dubious future in Horns should not come as a surprise. He struggled to remain healthy and was released twice last season to pare the Rams roster to the 53-man limit. After the Seattle Seahawks released him mid-season, he returned to round out a shallow cornerback position. But his tenure in LA was underwhelming, at best.

Complicating the matter even further, his contract expired. Unless he returns on a league-minimum contract, it's unlikely that the team will have much interest in renewing a commitment with Kendrick. After all, he had multiple opportunities to earn an extension in 2025 and didn't move the needle.

General manager Les Snead knows that the defense needs to upgrade at cornerback. For that reason alone, Kendrick's roster spot may be vacated to make room.

Derion Kendrick is unlikely to play for LA Rams in 2026

As proactive as LA Rams general manager Les Snead was in 2025, he couldn't get ahead of the curve as far as the team's secondary was concerned. He traded for Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary, who immediately fell to injury. He signed Kendrick to shore up the depth chart, but Kendrick was too unreliable.

It's not that Kendrick is unworthy. It's just that LA's defense needs to upgrade, and Kendrick offers little upside in this defense. He was on track for better things in 2024 until he was injured. Since that ACL repair, he simply has not fulfilled expectations.

He was very good in a limited role in the Seahawks secondary.

And so, it's a fated parting of ways for Derion Kendrick and Los Angeles. It's just not a pairing that makes sense based on recent history. With a deep cornerback position in the 2026 NFL Draft, this team can afford to spend a Day 1 pick on a promising rookie prospect.

McCreary showed promise in the NFL playoffs. Kendrick did not. That alone should point to the obvious outcome. Cornerback Derion Kendrick is as good as gone once free agency begins. And that will serve to open opportunities for fresh faces in the secondary.

As always, thanks for reading.